My Mom

My mother and I.......hmmm we do not always and historically have not always had the best of relationships. I can't tell you why, I can only think to blame it on the fact that we do not communicate and that our personalities are different yet, the same.

No matter what season of relationship we are in I love her. I love her to pieces. She is an amazing woman and I want to tell you about the woman that molded me to the woman I am today.

My Mom was born in Puerto Rico in 1952. She was pretty poor growing up and wasn't able to finish school past the 6th grade because her parents couldn't afford it. I remember her telling me that her family didn't have the money to even buy a toothbrush. When my Mom was 16 her family moved to NYC and lived in the Bronx for what I can imagine was for a better life. My mom started working in a factory and then somewhere along those lines met my father and they courted and had me. When I was born my mother took it upon herself to learn to read, write, and speak English all on her own watching TV shows like Sesame Street with me and forcing herself to read books in English.

My mother is smart and she passed to me the drive to move forward and be the best that I could be. My mother taught me through her stories of coming up in this world that you can't let it beat you down and you sure as heck can't take no for an answer and if you want something you need to go out there and get it because it is not coming to get you. My Mom was a stay at home mom while my father provided for our family. She raised my sister and I to be the women that we are today. My mother is also a spitfire and she will tell you how it is and but your tail in check when it needs to be. From my father I gained my wisdom and my mother the pure passion. My mother was passion everything that she did it was with passion.

I remember her getting into decorating our home. She would watch TV shows, stay on trend, and do with what most don't know how to do with little to no money at all. HA HA HA! That's how my sister and I are able to go to the Dollar Store and find and create some great treasures. My mom was a creator, she also got into painting these ceramic knick nack things and she studied how to paint an eye and would envision the colors of how she wanted to paint this thing and her pieces would look nothing short of professional. Flowers, forget it she could have been the most awesome florist but her calling was to be at home with my sister and I.

My mother was very protective of us when we were children. She was always scared that we would get hurt or in trouble if we were out of sight so yes, I was the kid that came home when the sun went down and couldn't go past the end of the road. I couldn't tell you at what age I was able to cross the street alone. The protectiveness even though it truly irritated my young life to no end I now have the same care for my children because I NOW know what kind of world that we live in and it is worse than when I was a child. My mom would take me to the bus stop ha ha ha ha ha and that was probably the only thing I didn't find embarrassing I thought it was pretty cool until I got into high school and then. well. you know. ha ha ha ha.

My mother is amazing, she is now helping to care for my son. Knowing that he is with my Mom he will be ok because at the end of the day I came out ok. I came out great. I am tearing up as I write this because sometimes I just miss her and I wish that I could take back the past because at times it has hurt us both so much. My Mom is influencing my son and showing him what she showed me and he may not see and hear all the stories that we did of my mom growing up but he will. My mother is simply amazing. She is a great cook, funny as hell, and don't cross that woman. She has a heart of gold and will show it to you if she can trust you and if she doesn't than you probably aren't a good person worthy of that trust. This woman can read people like nobodys business. She is fierce and loves that way and it's not that my mother is mean it's that you are worth the passion that she has to give and she won't waste her time.

Because of my mother I have graduated high school, have an Associates Degree, I have a Bachelors Degree, I have a career which earns me more money than I could have dreamed to make and I have a history to and a love so deep that I can now take and teach my three kids the best that my mother taught me. I can cook and I can clean a house probably just as good as Danny Tanner because of her. Going on my day to day life I didn't realize all that my mother has done for me and what all of her actions as I was growing up impacted my life. I am sitting in a room that's quiet and I can gather my thoughts for me about my life and THIS is how I feel about my Mother and I am THANKFUL that she chose to have children and that God blessed us to have each other.

Updates!

Here I am! A few days into May and boy where has the time gone? I only posted four times last month but in all reality my life in April was a bit of a whirlwind. I felt a need to step back and really focus on other parts of my life outside of the internet.

The weather has FINALLY taken a change for the better and even though I am rather reluctant to put my winter clothes away I think we are getting there. So let's see what have I been up to?

I had a really big exam that I had to study for in order to get a promotion at work so most of my free time was focused there. I spent some more time than usual in the word of God praying and getting back into my relationship with Him. I'll tell ya, it's really easy to just stray away from God. I was struggling with missing my "old" self because I felt like I couldn't have "fun" anymore or do the things that I once found "fun" needless to say the "old me" or rather the me in April drank a little bit too much and indulged in a lot of not so healthy foods ha ha ha. Hey! I own it and I am ready to move forward. 

I have not started the Whole 30 yet but now that my test is over and after Mothers Day my priority is to get my kitchen cleaned up and ready to go Monday. I am just going to take it one day at a time and see what happens. It's just a really big deal man. I am a lover of the 85/15 lifestyle that I am on but I know that my body needs some healing as well. When I say 85/15 I mean 85% Real Food 15% pizza or candy type food. I plan to chronicle my meals and what not but if I skip a day don't hate.

I have been spending a lot of time with my family! I don't know really......can I be real? So......my oldest son gets a bit jealous of the demands that my daughter has. I mean she needs us to do EVERYTHING for her and our son who is 6 going on 7 is a bit more independent and we love that.....he doesn't so I have noticed that over time I have pulled away from BOTH of my children in an effort to keep them from both being jealous or needy of me and NOW they are all about my husband. Which is a cool thing but it's not a cool thing. I have three kids and one lives away from us but we seem him often so I have 2 at home. I got used to when seeing my one son we had alone time and my middle guy had his time with us most of the time. I can tell you that it is seriously a challenge to fit in 2 kids in three hours after work, get the house all cleaned up, and spend quality time with both kids who are in obvious developmental stages. I have been working on mending my relationship with both of my children and it seems to be working wonderfully but I want it all better NOW but of course patience is a virtue.

He rarely lets me take pictures but this is our little day out!

Oh morning hair LOL

I make sure to spend a few minute with her in bed :) it's become my favorite thing to do.

My eldest and my besties daughter. My second daughter!

I completed Insanity Max 30! I did my measurements and all that jazz but I didn't get to see how much I lost but i know I lost some serious inches in the glute thigh area which makes me happy because it is seriously an issue for me. I have very slim legs with a bigger hip thigh area and if I don't take care of do some strength training it becomes an area that I feel very self conscious about. I have lost 5 pounds on the program which brings me to my happy weight range of 120-125 I am 5'3 so that is enough weight to keep me happy and confident.

I also had the pleasure of watching Mercy Me on the first of May. It was such a great show! I really enjoy their music but now that I know and understand much of where their songs came from I gained a better understanding of the band as a whole but I also fell even more in love with their music.


I am hoping to be a more active participant in my blog as I am now going to be taking it into another direction. I love fitness but I feel like I am more than that and I want you all to see more of ME with fitness AND my love for live together in one place. I hope you don't mind.